I'm scripting up a dream sequence that 2 characters are sharing. In this dream they are actually living the memories of another character. They are both having the exact same dream. At the risk of spoilers the 2 characters are Fenny and Sally.

I am worried that my idea method to tell this story may potentially be confusing.

I want to have the dreaming characters switch off in each panel. The dream should be about 3-4 pages long. Each panel would flip the character.

For example panel 1 Fenny hears the phone ring. Panel 2 is Sally answering the phone. Panel 3 has Fenny again, and so on. They will be dressed exactly the same of course. The camera angles should probably be pretty static for the most part and with detail to surroundings to show that they are the SAME character in the dream just being played by a different character in each panel.

Heh, that kind of confused me just to explain it. I might not even do this since I'm having doubts.

Yes and no, depends on what comes before it and if theere is anything in the presentation that suggests it is a dream. Or just have it seem "wrong" then explain it after. Confusing readers is fine as long as it all makes sense in the end or it's open to interpretation.

Before hand characters faint. After the dream they both talk about the dream.

The dream itself is meant to be disorienting and confusing to the characters and readers. I just worried due to changing the character in each panel. It's experimental. I think people will get it once the full scene concludes.

I just didn't know if this method would be too jarring. Thank you for your feedback. Makes me feel better about it.

If you had some kind of obvious transfer into each panel where the characters seemed connected then it wouldn't be but it seems that it might be VERY confusing.

But it also could not...


I just suggest you go for it.

I'd recommend using a vignette, dampened colours, and giving each character's panels slightly different tones. So like have slightly sepia panels for one character and the other could be slightly blue.

Have you tried drawing a thumbnail of the sequence in question? Keeping the static camera angle like you said is probably a good idea, otherwise it would likely seem like Sally and Fenny are just in the same room together. Making them wearing the same clothes would also be helpful for suggesting that in this sequence they're sort of the same person.
I'm glad you decided to have Fenny and Sally actually talk about the dream afterward, it's a weird event for both the characters and the readers and hearing the characters speculate on what it was helps suggest to the readers that there's more to it. Plus there's not much more annoying then a weird event with no follow through.
Now I realize this sounds like I'm pushing my own aesthetic on you and I apologize but I'd suggest that this sequence be drawn using a basic grid layout. For one thing grid layouts are very easy and clear to read, for another I think a grid would compliment the detailed backgrounds and static camera angles nicely. Also because Devon Legacy stories always seem to have dynamic, energetic layouts and this sequence is meant to stand out as being strange so a grid layout could be a subtle clue that something strange is happening.
I can't wait to see how ya handle this!

If you had some kind of obvious transfer into each panel where the characters seemed connected then it wouldn't be but it seems that it might be VERY confusing.
The scene will not be switching. It'll be 1 continuous scene. There should be several indicators to show that the scene is continuing including other characters around.

I'd recommend using a vignette, dampened colours, and giving each character's panels slightly different tones. So like have slightly sepia panels for one character and the other could be slightly blue.
I don't know. I would be worried that it would add MORE differences between each panel confusing readers to whether it is the exact same location/character.

patrickdevine
Have you tried drawing a thumbnail of the sequence in question?

Not yet. I was scripting when I decided on this. When I thumbnail I'll probably do it using the character they are playing in the dream to keep it consistent and then simply replace Fenny and Sally in the actual panels. I could also have reflective surfaces and the reflections of Fenny and Sally are of the person they are playing in this dream.

I'm glad you decided to have Fenny and Sally actually talk about the dream afterward, it's a weird event for both the characters and the readers and hearing the characters speculate on what it was helps suggest to the readers that there's more to it. Plus there's not much more annoying then a weird event with no follow through.

Agreed! And it helps to show they both had the SAME dream so hopefully any confused reader at that point would be like "Oh, I get it now!" :P

Now I realize this sounds like I'm pushing my own aesthetic on you and I apologize but I'd suggest that this sequence be drawn using a basic grid layout. For one thing grid layouts are very easy and clear to read, for another I think a grid would compliment the detailed backgrounds and static camera angles nicely. Also because Devon Legacy stories always seem to have dynamic, energetic layouts and this sequence is meant to stand out as being strange so a grid layout could be a subtle clue that something strange is happening.

No worries. I was thinking the same thing ^_^ Typically a dream would give me a great excuse to have a dynamic layout. But in this case it would definitely hurt the clarity with me switching characters. I think 6-8 panel grids will be best to keep everything uniform. It will be much easier to see Fenny and Sally are playing the same character like this IMO

I wish their were words in this dream. That would make it easier too. So I have to rely on good visuals and actions carrying over from panel to panel.

Thanks everyone ^_^ I'll do the scene this way!

Is it confusing? As in most things comicky, it all depends on the execution! To my mind, whether it will be clear or not depends on how you introduce the scene. Getting the introduction right will be critical, I think, but - once the scenario is established - there should be no problem in just continuing however you wish.

I'd use a combination of the techniques that I used in Shades for the flashbacks and for the sequence where Ryan and Starflower are telepathically joined:

- the first two dream panels (one for Fenny, one for Sally) should very clearly show each of the relevant characters asleep, with their dreams either hovering above them or even in a good ol' fashioned cloud-shaped balloon. The main character they are interacting with in the dream(s) should appear in both and you could even link his/her dialogue balloon(s) across the two panels.

- for the girls' first couple of replies, it might even be worth having a single dialogue balloon positioned between panels, with two pointers - one leading to dream-Sally, and one leading to dream-Fenny.

- at some point early on I'd change this technique slightly, by having a dream character ask a question and, instead of having the reply delivered by dream-Fenny and dream-Sally, I'd show their real selves, still asleep, murmuring the same answer. Again, having a single dialogue balloon pointing to both the sleeping characters could really underline the point that they're having the same dream.

- putting the relevant character's sleeping head in the corner of the panels depicting their respective dreams is an old technique which is a little heavy-handed these days but, since you have two dreams running concurrently, it could provide a very useful aide here, reminding the reader which dream we're in.

- assuming a page of six or so panels, I'd think the point should have been made by the end of Page 1 and, somewhere on Page 2, you'd be able to relax a little. Then you can drop some of those techniques and just switch between the two dreams as you see fit.

I think switching characters every panel might be jarring... I think maybe what I would do to portray a "same dream" would be to have the first few actions portrayed in rectangles, split into to panels each where each character is shown doing the same exact action, like this:

/Fenny grab phone/Sally grab phone/
/Fenny hold phone to ear/Sally hold phone to ear/

And then after that maybe follow one character for a few panels and then switch to the other -- or even show the actions in overlay of both doing the same thing (like a strip of panels of Sally above/beside and slightly overlapping a strip of panels showing Fenny).

I guess that would double the work, but it would be pretty clear.

Your idea actually made perfect sense to me, but that may be because I'm used to getting my head around complicated ideas like that because of the tv shows I watch lol. But the way I saw it playing out in my head made perfect sense. I've seen something a bit like it before, I know I have, but I can't remember where. Either way, I'd say go for it. You won't know if it works til you try. Perhaps draw out the first few panels, see how it's looking, see if it's making sense. If it is, keep going, and if not, then you haven't wasted too much time, and can still go back and try a different technique.

This is just my opinion, at the end of the day, you should do what ever you think works for your story :)

It does sound like a really interesting scene though!

Thanks so much for all the input!

I'm more than likely for sure going to at least START the dream as I laid out here. I want it to be jarring at 1st. I'm playing with different suggestions from DAJB and Used Books. A big determining factor is how many pages the dream lasts. If it's just 3-4 like I suspect it will I don't know if I'll switch the method too much. But I will surely be looking at all options in my thumbnailing stages :)

Hunchdebunch
Your idea actually made perfect sense to me, but that may be because I'm used to getting my head around complicated ideas like that because of the tv shows I watch lol

I'm the same. Been watching Star Trek Voyager again so the whole "WTF is going on?" crazy transitions thing is active in my mind at the moment XD

JustNoPoint
Thanks so much for all the input!

I'm more than likely for sure going to at least START the dream as I laid out here. I want it to be jarring at 1st. I'm playing with different suggestions from DAJB and Used Books. A big determining factor is how many pages the dream lasts. If it's just 3-4 like I suspect it will I don't know if I'll switch the method too much. But I will surely be looking at all options in my thumbnailing stages :)

Hunchdebunch
Your idea actually made perfect sense to me, but that may be because I'm used to getting my head around complicated ideas like that because of the tv shows I watch lol

I'm the same. Been watching Star Trek Voyager again so the whole "WTF is going on?" crazy transitions thing is active in my mind at the moment XD

I think that the moments of not understanding work brilliantly just so long as later the viewer/reader is given some clarity :) I've been plotting and scripting some new stories recently, and I've been thinking a lot about whether or not to start the comic at the beginning of the story, or throw the reader in at the deep end, and explain later. I think that can work really nicely.

With all of these things, it's just a case of experimenting and seeing what works. It's the people who aren't afraid to experiment who go furthest, I think :)